At a Glance
- Researchers discovered fossilized seeds in the stomachs of Longipteryx chaoyangensis, revealing that this ancient bird ate fruits rather than fish or insects, as previously thought.
- Longipteryx, which lived 120 million years ago in northeastern China, had a long skull and strong teeth, leading scientists to believe it initially hunted fish like modern kingfishers.
- The breakthrough came when researchers identified seeds inside two Longipteryx specimens, suggesting its diet consisted of seeds from ancient fruit-bearing gymnosperms related to today’s conifers.
- This finding challenges previous assumptions, indicating the bird’s beak might have been used as a weapon rather than for catching fish, similar to modern hummingbirds’ specialized beaks for combat.
- The discovery provides the first direct evidence of ancient bird diets and underscores the limitations of using physical characteristics alone to determine an animal’s behavior or diet in paleontology.
Paleontologists studying ancient creatures often rely on fossilized bones to learn about their lives, but sometimes, these can’t provide a complete picture. An exciting discovery is changing that: researchers have found fossilized seeds in the stomachs of one of the earliest known birds. This find, published in Current Biology, reveals that Longipteryx chaoyangensis, an ancient bird from 120 million years ago, ate fruits rather than fish or insects as previously thought.
Longipteryx, which lived in what is now northeastern China, was one of the earliest birds and had a unique appearance. It had a long skull and strong teeth at the tip of its beak. Scientists initially believed that these features meant Longipteryx hunted fish, similar to modern kingfishers. However, new research led by Jingmai O’Connor from the Field Museum challenges this view. The research team found that rather than hunting fish, Longipteryx’s diet included seeds from ancient fruit-bearing plants, which were gymnosperms related to today’s conifers.
The breakthrough came when O’Connor visited a museum in China and noticed seeds inside two Longipteryx specimens. Collaborating with paleobotanist Fabiany Herrera, they identified these seeds as belonging to ancient trees. This discovery contradicts the earlier belief that Longipteryx used its strong teeth and elongated beak to catch fish. Instead, the bird’s beak might have been used as a weapon, similar to modern hummingbirds that have evolved specialized beaks for combat.
This finding is significant because it’s the first time scientists have found direct evidence of what these ancient birds ate. It highlights a broader issue in paleontology: Sometimes, physical characteristics alone can’t accurately tell us about an animal’s behavior or diet. This research helps us understand Longipteryx better and prompts paleontologists to consider how other early birds might have lived.
References
- O’Connor, J., Clark, A., Herrera, F., Yang, X., Wang, X., Zheng, X., Hu, H., & Zhou, Z. (2024). Direct evidence of frugivory in the Mesozoic bird Longipteryx contradicts morphological proxies for diet. Current Biology, S0960982224011242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.012
- Field Museum. (2024, September 10). Paleontologists discover fossil birds with teeth had seeds in their stomachs, indicating that they ate fruit. Phys.Org; Field Museum. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-paleontologists-fossil-birds-teeth-seeds.html
